- Published: 08.07.2015.
Croatia Forum opens tomorrow
The 10th Croatia Forum will be held in Dubrovnik 9-11 July under the title “New Development Policy - Towards Partnership and a Common Vision”, with 25 foreign ministers and other senior Croatian and foreign officials in attendance
The 10th Croatia Forum will be held in Dubrovnik 9-11 July under the title “New Development Policy - Towards Partnership and a Common Vision”, with 25 foreign ministers and other senior Croatian and foreign officials in attendance.
This traditional foreign policy conference organised by the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry is an introduction of sorts to the International Conference on Financing for Development and the UN Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
The topics will include partnership between small and big donors, sustainable development and terrorism. For the first time, African officials will attend.
Croatia Forum started as Croatia Summit ten years ago, then in 2013 changed its format, inviting foreign ministers.
The first Croatia Summit was held in Dubrovnik in 2006 under the title “Rounding out Europe’s southern dimension – values that bind us”. The previous year Croatia had launched the EU entry talks and made progress towards NATO membership, so the first conference was dedicated to security issues and the Euro-Atlantic integration process, which was the main topic the following year as well.
The third Croatia Summit in 2008 addressed security, development and prosperity. It was held a few months after Croatia was invited to join NATO. The 2009 summit focused on energy, investment and development. That year Croatia joined NATO.
The 2010 summit dealt with global challenges from the region’s perspective, while the 2011 summit, held a few days after Croatia closed the EU membership negotiations, addressed the future and the end of transition.
The 2012 summit focused on state building and the EU experience, while the 2013 conference, now called Croatia Forum, discussed Europe’s energy security. Last year, Croatia Forum focused on the European integration of the Western Balkans and was attended by 18 foreign ministers, including incumbent EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.
As the previous ones, this year’s conference too will be dedicated to topical issues. International development cooperation is an important instrument for establishing global cooperation. Croatia Forum is also an opportunity to address key foreign policy challenges to development such as conflicts and terrorism, and examine how development cooperation can contribute to overcoming them.